Five Freedoms PSA Contest Rules and Instructions
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Who:
High school television students who value the Five Freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution: Freedom of Press, Speech, Petition, Assembly and Religion.
What:
A contest designed to challenge student journalists to create original 15- or 30- second public service announcements demonstrating the importance of the First Amendment.
When:
Segments produced this school year – until February 4, 2008 – are eligible. Uploading begins October 7, 2007 and ends February 4, 2008.
Where:
Upload your entries here: RTNDF Five Freedoms Upload
Why:
Everyone should understand the importance of the Five Freedoms found in the First Amendment. By creating these PSAs, students get the opportunity to not only learn and understand the Five Freedoms, but they also get there chance to let others know about their importance to our lives as Americans.
How:
Teams: PSA production teams should be made up of no more then three students. Schools can send in as many PSAs as they like.
Prep:
Length:
There are two categories in the Five Freedoms PSA Contest, 15- and 30- second PSAs. Stay within your time limit in your final edit. This does not include the information slate at the beginning of your piece.
Slate:
A 10-second, full-screen slate (also known as a "title screen") should appear before your PSA with the following information:
- Student producers’ names (no more than three)
- School name
- School address
- Title of the entry
- Total running time
Music:
Only use music in your PSA if you have permission from the copyright holder. No music is better then illegal music.
Entering:
- Teachers must register on SchoolTube.com. Registering will give them the ability to upload videos, and moderate (review and approve or deny) their students’ submitted videos.
- In addition to uploading the PSA to SchoolTube, teachers must fax a signed Five Freedoms Teacher Form (found at www.hsbj.org/2008entryform.pdf) to RTNDF at 202-223-4007. This form verifies that students did the work with no assistance from adults and that music is copyright free or used under license.
- Also, please save a broadcast-quality version of the PSA in the event it is selected to air on television.
- Students must register on on www.SchoolTube.com in order to upload their entry. Their submission will have to be approved by their teacher before it is officially entered into the contest.
- Either students or teachers can upload a PSA entry to SchoolTube. If students submit the video, it will be moderated by their teacher first. Students will have to wait for their teacher to approve the video before it will be officially entered into the Five Freedoms contest.
- If teachers submit the entry, it will be viewable immediately.
All visitors to SchoolTube will be able to vote on their favorite PSAs. There will be Early Entry prizes, along with prizes for the Highest Rated PSAs.
Judging:
First Amendment experts and professional broadcast journalists will choose the ($1,000) Grand Prize Winners after all submissions are in. There will be Grand Prize Winners for both the 15- and 30- second PSA categories.
Grand Prize:
Grand Prize Winners will receive $1,000 for their broadcasting program.
On The Air:
Winning PSAs will appear on ChannelOne during Sunshine Week (March 16-22) and on SchoolTube.com.
Again: Please save a broadcast quality version of you PSA in the event that your entry is selected to air on television.
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